Labour of love: Baker spends 5 days creating giant rainbow cake for NHS staff

An out-of-work baker uses 90 eggs and 55kgs of ingredients over five days to create a rainbow cake which she donates to NHS staff at her local hospital.

Video credit: Cakes by Carol.

SHOWS: STILTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 18, 2020) (CAKES BY CAROL - NO RESALES/ MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY CAKES BY CAROL) (MUTE) 1.

STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF NHS RAINBOW CAKE STILTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 13-17, 2020) (CAKES BY CAROL - NO RESALES/ MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY CAKES BY CAROL) (MUTE) 2.

VARIOUS OF TIMELAPSE SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF CAKE STILTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 18, 2020) (CAKES BY CAROL - NO RESALES/ MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY CAKES BY CAROL) (MUTE) 3.

STILL PHOTOGRAPH BAKER CAROL SMITH WITH NHS RAINBOW CAKE STORY: An out-of-work baker in Stilton, England, has put her creativity and ingredients to use by baking a giant rainbow cake and donating it to NHS staff at her local hospital.

With a lockdown in force and countrywide closures in place, wedding cake maker Carol Smith has seen her work be put on hold as many weddings are postponed But the baker has not stopped being creative and with the help of her husband Shane, who built the framework for her rainbow cake, Carol spent five days baking, building and icing.

She used 90 eggs and 55kg (121 lbs) of ingredients in more than 40 hours of work from April 13-17.

Once complete, it took two people to carry it and put it in her car before she delivered it to the Critical Care Unit at Peterborough City Hospital - following social distancing guidelines.

NHS staff shared it among various wards, Carol said.

"All I wanted to do was to make them smile in what is a very difficult time for everyone.

The smiles on their faces as they saw the cake made all the many hours and hard work worth it," she added.

The rainbow has become a symbol for positivity amongst those under lockdown in the UK.

(Production: George Sargent)